Covent Garden

The Wind in the Willows

The Duchess Theatre was full of Christmas spirit for the opening
night ofThe Wind in the Willows. The show, in which Tony Robinson
plays the author Kenneth Grahame, is a festive frolic, complete
with carol singers and very-nearly-real snow. Clive Anderson,
Darcey Bussell and Joanna Lumley were suitably charmed by the
performance, as were their various children or grandchildren.
Jeffrey Archer was there too, as proud as punch because his son,
William Archer, produced the show. After the curtain call, guests
took themselves off to the Hospital Club, where sumac chicken, and
blue cheese rarebit was served and wine downed (by the adults, of
course). Luckily, Cris Penfold, who plays Toad, was permitted to
take off his motorcar prop for this part of the evening (the same
couldn't be said for the interval).